Should I be concerned about the smoke on startup?

Here is a link to start up video.

Thanks,

Smoke, what smoke? If you want to see smoke, come to my house when I start my vert up...cripes... it reminds me of the old days when they used to fog the neighborhoods for the mosquitos..!! (Granted, I think its an original engine thats never been rebuilt, ...but thats for another year..)

Seriously, I wouldn't worry too much about that. Now...if you start noticing a huge drop in oil when checking the dipstick, then be concerned...

2nd that, what smoke? You probably have a very slightly bad valve seal or two. It's only a problem when it starts to foul the plugs.....

Here is a link to a video of it starting off where it was smoking also.

Thanks,

How practical is it that the condensation in the exhaust system is burning out or evaporating? I didn't see much to worry about either. BTW, you might try to smooth out that rough idle. That thing cackles like H E double toothpicks.

DANG! I can't get the link to work right. I just get a half a second of video....

Should it not idle rough? I was told that was because of the large cam.

Finally got that whole video to load. She sounds like a healthy 350!

I was just giving you the business. It really sounds great.
Now I feel like the time I asked the lady when she was due, only to find out she wasn't. Boy was my face red.

\
thats the one You NEVER ask...I learned long ago...lol

I have to aggree with Jim. It looks like you may have one or two valve seals starting to go. It's not that bad, you should see my cammer on start up some days, it fogs the neighborhood. Best way to tell which cylinders aren't sealed, look at the spark plugs.

Suppose ably it only has 2k on the rebuild but that was many years ago, I know it smells bad. I've got one them stinky cars.
Thanks,

kerry,

take it out on a clear country road and spank its tail end a few times to get it to seal right!!! i have a fresh chevy with no more than a few hundred miles on it when i got it and i had to take it out and pound the dog snot out of it to seal the rings! it was puffin befor i started and was barely noticable once i was done. still have one cylinder thats giving me troubles but its my wifes car so im not worried about it sealing to much! she'll take care of that for me im sure!!!

I think we were referring to valve seals, not rings...I had a bad valve seal on my 72 Impala vert and it was like that on start up only for years...never was a major issue. ran great otherwise.

Yours looked minimal, and almost like a bit of condensation...

Don't think I would worry to much at this stage.

Some smoke on start-up there is from longer term seepage through the valve guides. If it's not fouling the plugs, let it go. You should see my truck smoke after it's run idle a half hour in the emissions station waiting in line. It passes by a hair and it's much worse that that from goosing the throttle for the test after waiting in their line. They wanted to clear the emissions hut because of the smoke, but they are paid by the hour, so they stay. I get to talk with the Englishman at the testing station about "dumping raw petrol" on the ground every two years. Most of the emissions from this truck are emitted there waiting in their line with this old garbage scow.

Thanks guys, I guess I need to get back focused on saving for the repaint. I'm thinking about going with the 400 hood and hood tach.

A quick check for valve seals while driving is to hold the car in a lower gear, accelerate the car up to about 3500 rpm, let off the throttle for a few seconds then hit the throttle. If you see a puff of blue smoke (not from the tires!), the valve seals have allowed oil to be pulled past the guides by the high vacuum in the cylinder during off-throttle, then the oil is burned when you get back on it. Oil past the rings is a continual smoking under throttle.

When I bought my bird in 2000, it had leaking valve seals. It smoked on startup. I used Valvoline Max Life motor oil to stop that smoking until 2006. Then I put rebuilt heads on the car with new valve seals, and switched to Shell Rotella. What Max Life is supposed to do is swell the valve seals in an old engine. It worked for me.

Well I drove it today and did what TOCan said and from the rear view mirror I notice no smoke. I will have to get someone to follow me to see if it smokes. As for the oil I am currently running Havoline 10w30, but I will consider changing to Valvoline Max. Thanks,

Held the car in first till around 3500 then let off counted to two or three then stomped it, wife was following behind on the cell, she said a small puff of smoke came out. I did this three times and she couldn't tell if it had a blue tent, said it looks white. I figure its blue and I was doing good to have her pay attention enough to tell it was smoking. So I guess this seals the deal its bad valve seals. I just hope it hangs in there I have so many things to do besides the engine right now.